We didn't win the award for the best TV movie/ Miniseries. [From the Earth to the Moon], a miniseries produced by Tom Hanks won that one. My parents didn't mind it much (or at least that's what they portrayed in front of me.)

  Then it was time for the event for which we had initially e here. The after party. Most of the studios hold their own parties and they are open for most celebrities, especially the winners. Seeing my age, my parents had told me with certainty that we would only be going to the party of Warner Bros./HBO as they would be our long-term colborators.

  I certainly didn't have a problem with that.

  The party was exactly what you might be expeg from a Hollywood party. It was full of booze ay.

  In short, it was super b for me. Sure it had good food as well, but you could o so much before you would be seen as an uncultured glutton. Moreover, most adults didn't want to talk with a little kid of all people after an initial gratutions.

  "Troy!" Dad walked towards me from the group of men he was versing with, "e, I want you to meet someone."

  I followed Dad dutifully, waving at my mother who was gossiping with some other dy. It was the third time of the day that Dad had dragged me away to talk with people. The first two times, they were some hotshot producers and executives from WB.

  I didn't expect much this time.

  Dad guided me towards a 40-something man with a very genial face, wearing square-cut gsses over his h an immacute bck suit.

  "Chris, this is my son Troy. Troy, this is Chris bus, the director of [Home Alone] and its sequel," Dad expined with a mischievous smile at the end that most people who didn't know him would miss. He knew how much I loved [Home Alone]. So much so that I had reended him to direct Harry Potter.

  While he didn't know about my past/future knowledge that led to me reending Chris, I 't deny that I love Chris' work.

  "gratutions on the win, Troy. I loved your work in [Sex Education]." Chris smiled at me while we shook hands.

  "Thank you, Mr. bus. I love your movies as well. [Home Alone] and [Mrs. Doubtfire]."

  "Call me Chris." He smiled warmly at me, "Tell me, Troy, is it true that you asked Steve here to buy the rights of Harry Potter?"

  "Oh yes," I nodded, "I just loved the first book. I robably one of its earliest readers and reended Dad the book."

  His smile wide that, "You know what they say about actors? A good actor is not one who acts the best, but the one who chooses the best script. I think you go very far if you keep that up."

  I looked at him and the knowing smile he was giving me and turowards Dad who also had this shit-eating grin on his face, "Didn't you say that Warner Bros. had to okay my casting first?"

  "They did," Dad shrugged, "The st person I introduced you to, Barry Meyer, is the current COO of WB. He told me, that as long as you clear a basic si, they won't hold an audition for Harry. As usual, you have to keep quiet about the whole thing until we sign the trad make an official annou."

  I stood there dumbfounded for a moment. That was much better han receiving a Golden Globe. Hell, even an Oscar. If we weren't at a party surrounded by so many people, I'd be screaming my lungs out. But unfortunately, we were, so I just stood there, numb, not knowing how to react to the news.

  "Troy, hey Troy!" Dad called me out.

  "I think you broke him, Steve." Chris snickered from beside Dad. That was enough to snap me out of my stupor.

  "That's the best news I've heard all day," I replied with the widest smile I've probably shown him, "And I won a Golden Globe today."

  Dad and Chris ughed at that.

  "So," I turowards Chris, "Are you direg the movie?"

  "I certainly hope so," Chris crossed his fingers as he said that, a little worried expression on his face.

  "As far as I am ed, you'll be the director Chris," Dad affirmed while pg a hand on Chris' shoulder. Theuro me, "This guy here has prepared detailed storyboards and written his own version of the script. It's just a matter of ving the Warner ma. Good kid actors that fit all the criteria of a role are so few, so Troy, your sele was easy for them to make. Good directors, as we all know, are many, they'll just need some ving."

  Chris just nodded, but his embarrassment was unmistakable.

  "I hope we work together on this movie Chris," I said with my utmost siy, making the man smile once more.

  (Break)

  I was ba Philly a couple days after the Golden Globe event. I had to give a few interviews that were set up by Barry Mendel for the pre-emptive promotion of [The Sixth Sense].

  Luckily, there were no talk shows involved so it took just one day to plete them all. I must have been interviewed by at least 20 reporters, if not more, about the same topie after another. It was nerve-wrag if I'm to be ho, but that's part of my job and slowly but surely, I'm getting used to the back-to-baterviews, or press ju as they call it.

  And just like that, life went back to normal. I don't know what I was expeg, but is an award even worth it? After a few days, weeks, or months, does it matter to a you that you won an insequential award? No one oreated me differently than before. They gratuted me, sure, but that was that. That makes me think, why would anyone pay to have an award as insequential as

  "Cole," Night's voice brought me out of my ihoughts, "This se is crucial to establish the supernatural element of the story. You get up at night to pee when you hear someone i who you think is your mom, you go there only to find that it's a ghost. There won't be aually there, it will all be added in the post-produ. You just have one dialogue, 'Mama' and then after getting scared you'll run back to the red tent over there and hyperventite and cry a little." He pointed down the hallway where the tent iion was made by the set designers.

  "You get that?"

  I nod slowly, getting in the mood of the se. From what I remember about the se, the ghost was a dy with her wrists slit. I guess why they don't want to show that to a young kid.

  For this se, I was wearing a pair of tighty whities and a white vest, probably Cole's sleeping attire. It was weird moving around the set in just your undergarments, but then again I've dohe shower se in Sex Education so this is pretty tame pared to that.

  As soon as I heard 'A', I was in my character. I peeked a little from behind the door of my bedroom in the hallway, shivering a little. I opehe door while crossing my legs over my crotd walked weirdly towards the bathroom because of the mounting pressure of pee.

  I stood in front of the toilet with my hands on my crotch when I heard the sound from behind me, "Good Cole, now slowly turn with a slightly frightened face."

  This se was meant to have voices added ter on so any entaries from the director would be deleted in the post-produ.

  "Cut." Night's voice rang "That was good but could be a little better. Cole, bring in a little more uneasiness in your expression. Do it like this, think of the most horrible monster you've ever seen in a movie or somewhere else. Imagi is standing right behind you. you do that?"

  "Okay," I gave Night a nod a ba my character when I heard A.

  Thinking of a frightening Lovecraftiaure standing right behind me, I slowly turned my head and looked at the person standing behind me. Or rather, the creature.

  It was a hairy beast with a big snout and long pointy teeth. I did the thing that any sane person would do iuation.

  I screamed my lungs out in panid fell back. Unluckily for me, behind me was the toilet and I kinda fell ass first into it.

  "Hahahaha!" Laughter rang around the set as most of the crew including the director and even my mother were ughing at my rea.

  The said creature iion removed his e mask to show it was Bruce Willis who was also ughing but he had the dee forth a me out of the gross situation I had fallen in.

  Irospect, it was a funny prank. But I didn't feel like that at the moment.

  "You all are bloody wankers!" I shouted at Bruce. That did nothing to lessen his ughter though.

  "Language! Hahahaha!" Came the ughing rebuke from my mother.

  Bruce just pced a hand on his chest, "Woah, sorry little man. They phis." He poiowards the crew and then asked in a somewhat serious tone, "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

  I shrugged off his hand from my shoulder and turowards Night and asked in a clipped tone, "Are we done for the day?"

  "Yes, although…" I didn't hear what else he had to say and walked steadily in the dire of my trailer.

  "Troy! Wait! At least wear something warmer befoing out."

  I didn't even look back at my Mum who was calling me again and again. And while it was indeed very cold, I just powered through it and soon reached my trailer. I ignored all the weird ghat people around me were throwing at me on the way. In my trailer, I quickly ged out of the ruined clothes and wore something cozy.

  "Troy Armitage! That's no way to behave o!" I turowards my mother who had a disappointed expression on her face.

  "Oh really?" I gave her a bnd look, "You always said you didn't wao bee an actht? Guess what, you won. I quit. I won't shoot anymore."

  "What!?" She excimed gobsmacked, "You're not making seroy. Just because of a prank? That's way too extreme a rea."

  "I don't think so," I replied nontly, "I'm going to tell this to Night, you e along if you want."

  I started speed walking back towards the set where I knew Night and Bruce would be present as Bruce had a few ses today as well. Mum tried to block my way to talk some seo me, but I just took a detour around her.

  "I quit!" I announced loudly, stunning everyone present o from Night to Bruce to even the crew members roaming around.

  "As per my tract, I quit filming if I find it to be detrimental to my health, physical or otherwise. Earlier when I fell over, I think I bruised my hip and the whole situation was very damaging for my mental health, so I quit." I stopped my rant to see that almost everyone was staring at me in shock.

  Surprisingly my mother was quiet this time and didn't ent on my decration.

  "e on Cole…" Night began.

  "My name," I cut him off loudly, "Is Troy Armitage. As I have quit filming, you go back to callihat."

  "Look Troy," Bruce stepped forward with his hands held high, as if in a defensive position, "we all are very sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't know that…" He trailed off at the end.

  "That I would behave like a total lunatid quit ag over a prank gone wrong, right?" I asked sarcastically.

  Bruce winced and that was all the firmation I needed.

  "Troy," Night slowly walked towards me, "It's my fault. I had phe prank, but it was only to lighten the mood o. It was no iion of ao harm you in any manner. Please five me. As a director, I shouldn't have enced nor initiated any disruptive behavior o."

  Then Night joined his hands in an apology a at his waist.

  sigh

  They couldn't eve me have a little fun. I turowards Bruce who was eyeing me curiously to see my rea.

  "You're right of course. Only a lunatic would leave a movie over a prank." I retorted with a devilish grin, amused at the sudden realizations all around, especially the director, "Or do you think you guys pull a prank over a helpless 10-year-old boy and expeo retribution?"

  Night heaved out a loud sigh of relief and fell down to his knees, "Oh my God! I thought we'd have to shelve the movie! You scared the crap out of me kid!"

  I shrugged my shoulders, "There's no such cuse in my tract, I just made some shit up!"

  "Language!" Mum smacked me oop of my head lightly, "And for the record, I had realized that a little te, but I did. I iated your tract after all and there wasn't su easy exit cuse."

  Bruce ughed heartily at our dynamics, "Gd that's all sorted out then."

  I gave him a deadpan look and turowards Night. Had he not asked for fiveness so pathetically, I wouldn't have caved in so early.

  "So, is my se really over or is there somethi?" I asked to break the awkwardness.

  He coughed loudly, "Oh yeah yeah, your first take was great. You go back if you want."

  "e on Mum," I motioowards my mother who gdly apanied me back to our residence.

  ___________________________

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